Just an early note that the annual SCARAB Camp Tues. night dance for 2006 will be "Night in a Blender: World Music Hybrids." Turkish electronica? Hip hop from Senegal? West African/Irish dance music? Indian/flamenco funk? Arabic version of "Rock the Casbah"? If you never expected it, we've got it, and it WILL move your collective pelvi. As in years past, a free CD of the night's mix to the first 50 dancers.

Wellsir, I have to admit that you've stumped me. Are those bands from Central Africa? soukous music? When we had the sub-Saharan dance 3 years back, I definitely played some of that style and from that region. If I remember right, we played some Kekele and some Kanda Bongo Man (spelling may be way off.....I'm sitting at work, but thinking about the playa).

Don't want to give away all of this year's playlist, but Baba Maal is definitely on there, so West Africa is represented.

They are all from the afro-cuban school. In the 50s a bunch of cuban musicians went to Kinshasha to jam. They met up with the central africans and history was made! My musician friend says it's a "12 tone diatonic" scale (?) but I really have no idea what it means.

I do know that it is not the most accessible music to those used to the 3 chord progressions and structures of western pop music. It took some listening before I finally "got it."

It's also funny to watch westerners try and dance to it. The melody is extremely fast, which is what they mostly pick up on. But it is not something you can dance to for 15 minutes. You have to pick a slower beat and start moving your hips to that. When I got used to it and started dancing to this music, I emulated my hosts, and danced ballroom style. C'etait tres sexy!